T H E  W I L D  C A R D
by dansingglowstix
Summary: Detective Hatake Kakashi has been trying to catch the notorious drug-lord Uchiha Sasuke for ten years now,and he's finally found his weakness, Haruno Sakura.  FULL SUMMARY INSIDE
1. The Game Changes

_**So yah, I know I haven't updated my other story in forever but I had a dream about this and it wouldn't stop gnawing at me until I wrote it, I'm so sorry! T_T**_

_**I apologize in advance for any mistakes that are bad enough to hurt your feelings. xDD**_

_**Edit: There seems to be a formating error near the end where random chunks of writing is being out in italics, I'm working to fix that.**_

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**0o..T H E W I L D C A R D..o0**

_Detective Hatake Kakashi has been trying put the notorious drug-lord Uchiha Sasuke behind bars for ten years now, and he's finally found Sasuke's weakness, his lover Haruno Sakura. But when she turns out to be a harder shell to crack than he first anticipated, can Kakashi really use this unpredictable wild card to win the game, or will she put an even further gap between him and his prize?_

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She was being surprisingly polite.

They had found her at the mall, shopping (No doubt using her dirty boyfriend's dirty money for her purchases) and she'd simply smiled before allowing them to escort her to the police cruiser without resisting at all. Once they reached the station, she was immediately thrust into an interrogation room alone, where she sat quietly without uttering a single word of complaint. She kept her hands folded neatly in her lap, careful not to touch anything, and stared forward at the wall, humming a cheerful tune while she waited for someone to come.

"She hasn't moved an inch in an hour." Asuma grunted, taking a drag off his cigarette and expelling the smoke into the atmosphere. Beside him, Kakashi continued to quietly observe the woman.

The two detectives were standing outside of the one-way window leading into her interrogation room. She couldn't see them, but Kakashi was seasoned enough to know that _she_ knew they were there, watching. In fact, he would probably go as far as to say she probably also knew exactly what they were doing and saying, though this could easily be the bastard child of paranoia.

He was familiar with the dangerous, deceitful lot she associated her self with, but he had little to no knowledge of her. She was a mystery; the ever elusive wild card that he'd never thought necessary to draw. Now she was his only hope of finally capturing the notorious drug-lord he'd been chasing for ten years with hardly any luck, 25-year-old Uchiha Sasuke; Her boyfriend.

At first, Kakashi simply believed her to be a common whore that Sasuke would soon get rid of once he'd had his fun. Kakashi had pushed her to the back of his mind, not bothering to notice hat the pink-haired woman was still around. It wasn't until he found a man beaten to the brink of death in an alley outside one of Sasuke's usual hangouts, sputtering nonsense about "Never whistling at Uchiha-sama's girl again" that he finally saw a possible weakness in what he was almost beginning to believe was an indestructible foe. The man escaped from the hospital before Kakashi could press him for more information, no doubt to go crawling back to his master like the pitiful dog he was, begging for forgiveness. If only he had seen her usefulness from the beginning.

"I'm going in." he murmured to Asuma, who only shrugged in response.

She didn't turn around as he slowly creaked the door open, but her humming stopped. The clicking of his dress-shoes seemed to echo in the deathly silent room. He took his seat in front of her, smiling lightly behind his surgical mask. The one she flashed in return sent shivers rattling up his spine.

"Hello Haruno-san-"

"Sakura is fine." she interrupted, still beaming. He cleared his throat.

"Very well then, _Sakura-_san, I'm detective Hatake and I would like to ask you a few questions if that's alright with you. You aren't in any trouble." he mentally tacked a _yet _onto the ending of his statement.

"I think it's only fair if I get to ask you questions since I have to answer yours."

"I'm giving you a choice." She gave him a look that let him know she wasn't stupid.

"...I guess that's reasonable, would you like to start off?"

His calculating eyes observed as she carefully considered what to say. She couldn't ask him anything that would raise a red flag, but it would also be a waste of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity if she only inquired about mundane subjects. Whatever she asked was certain to have an ulterior motive, meaning he'd have to be just as careful with his answers while still managing to not seem suspicious of her. According to her file, this woman was a genius. He definitely needed to stay on his toes.

_'This will perhaps be the most difficult interrogation I have ever conducted.'_

She didn't take too long pondering her answer, as to not seem like she was up to something shady.

"...Where are those nice patrol officers that brought me in? They were very polite you know."

Kakashi narrowed his visible eye slightly. What could she possibly gain by inquiring about Nara and Akimichi?

"That large fellow even offered me some of his chips," she continued, "people feel much more willing to cooperate when they're treated kindly you know."

"Officers Nara and Akimichi had to respond to a back-up request by a nearby unit, but I'll be sure to give them your regards. I believe it's my turn?" she licked her lips and nodded.

"You have quite a few shopping bags with you Sakura-san, are you celebrating anything special today?" an amused expression flashed across her face. Kakashi got the feeling that she could see right through him.

"Not really; only Friday. _My boyfriend didn't make any money last night_, he decided to call in sick from work," she _had_ seen right through him, "it's my turn again."

He barely had the time to nod before she was speaking once more.

"Why do you wear that mask and eye-patch all the time, if it's not too personal a question." Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that two?"

"Not if there's an and." well she got him there.

"The mask is for my allergies, I was a very sickly child. As for my eye-patch? It makes me look cool, like a pirate, don't you think?"

She obviously hadn't been expecting him to make a joke out of her question, but she took it all in stride regardless. "Yes, very, I may have to go get one myself." she swallowed thickly.

_'She must be thirsty.' _Kakashi jumped at the chance of obtaining free DNA.

"Would you like some water Sakura-san? I'll be happy to get a bottle for you."

"That would be lovely, thank you detective Hatake-san." with a nod, Kakashi got up and left the room.

Asuma fell in step beside him as he headed down the hall toward the vending machine. They both grunted in greeting to the orange-haired intern that hurried passed.

"I wouldn't expect a woman with pink hair to be that hard to crack," Asuma shook his head in disbelief, "especially since she's been smiling the whole while she's been here."

"That, my dear partner, is _exactly_ was she's such a tough cookie. She isn't nervous at all."

"...Way to make us sound like a gay couple Kakashi, jeez," the silver-haired detective chuckled as he fed a crisp one-dollar bill into the _Aquafina _machine, "do you think you're going to get anything out of her?" Kakashi sighed deeply. "Not unless she wants me to."

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It was around 3:00pm when Kakashi finally let her go. They'd done nothing but played a game of "Who can dodge who's question better" for about two hours before he found the interrogation to be nothing more than a waste of time. She hadn't slipped up once, only revealing small tidbits of information that she knew he could do nothing with every now and again to tease him. The pink-haired woman seemed rather pleased with herself though, leaving Kakashi with the sinking feeling that she'd found out more than he had.

He decided to escort her personally to the front, and Asuma tagged along, making small talk as they walked. "We can give you a ride back to the mall if you like,"he offered, "so you can pick up your car."

"No thank you," another smile, "someone has already gotten it for me." both Asuma and Kakashi frowned slightly at this. How could she possibly know that?

"Well can we at least take you home then?"

"That's alright, my ride should be here by the time we get out."

True to her word, a darkly tinted, orange and black Enzo Ferrari pulled up as soon as the trio stepped out the doors of the Konohagakure Police Department. Sakura bowed politely and strutted toward the car as if she were a model on the catwalk, attracting the attention of many near-by officers. When she was about half-way, the passenger-side door raised, giving the two detectives a clear view of the driver.

Uchiha Sasuke.

He was wearing a pair of aviator shades, but Kakashi could still feel is eyes boring into him, _challenging _him. Sakura slid into the orange leather seat and Sasuke immediately pressed his lips against hers in a passionate kiss; Another warning.

_She's mine, touch her and you'll be sorry._

He then lowered the door, driving out of the parking lot at the exact speed-limit. Kakashi didn't realize that Sakura had taken the water with her until the couple was already gone.

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"...Are you mad at me babe?" Sakura asked, once the police station was but a speck in their rear-view mirror. Usually when she got in the car, her boyfriend would put in Asking Alexandria's album "Reckless and Relentless" because he knew it was her favorite band. In fact, he'd went out and bought it just for her, even though he didn't much like the band himself (He was more of a Bring Me the Horizon fan). This time he didn't play any music at all.

At first Sasuke didn't answer. He simply stared forward blankly at the road, as if he hadn't heard her question. Sakura knew better than to rush him. She sat back, accepting that he would answer when he was ready. They had been riding in silence so long before he spoke that she'd almost forgotten she'd even ask him anything.

"..Why wasn't Naruto with you?" his voice was colder than normal, which meant he was _extremely_ pissed. He rarely got that angry with her.

"I. told him he could go visit Hinata." she replied quietly.

"...Without asking or even informing me?" Sakura flinched as if she'd been slapped. Boy was she in trouble.

"I knew you wouldn't approve," she admitted guiltily, "Naruto has been using up almost all of his free time babysitting me, do you know how long it's been since he's actually spent the day with his girlfriend?" she hesitated before adding: "How would you feel if someone kept you away from me?" That last part was dirty, she knew, and by the small frown that appeared on his face, he knew it too.

"..Something could have happened to you Sakura," he whispered, still not looking at her, "if you got hurt, I don't know what I'd do." she felt her heart flutter at his words. She carefully pried his right hand from the steering-wheel and wound their fingers together. "Well I'm not, so stop worrying so much, together forever remember? Nothing canseparate us, especially not some damned police officer." Sasuke chuckled at her words.

"Speaking of Naruto," Sakura continued, "why'd you pick me up in his car? I mean, I know you'd rather not have the five'o knowing what you drive, but that idiot is your second hand man." a decidedly evil smirk appeared on the young man's face.

"Which is why I will be letting him know he has to sell it when we he's finally done fraternizing with his girl."

"Ahh, punishment for abandoning his post?" the only things Naruto loved more than his car were Hinata and ramen.

"Hn, don't think _you're_ getting off so easily." Sakura cursed under her breath. Well it was worth a try right?

"I'm meeting with a potential client tonight at _Valley of the End_, a big buyer to make up for my "sick day." You have to entertain his cheap slut."

"Sasuke-kun," she whined, "that's soooo not fair! I mean, how much do you _actually _think we'll have in common?" Sasuke didn't respond, but the mischief that briefly lit his empty black eyes said it all.

"Urgh, go to Hell Sasuke."

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_Valley of the End_ was the hottest nightclub in Konohagakure. Only the royalty of the night-world were allowed in, and since Sasuke practically owned the streets of Konoha, he practically the owned the club too. He sauntered in, a dolled up Sakura hanging from his left arm like a trophy. His presence _commanded_ attention, and everyone stopped dancing to the upbeat house music blasting from the DJ's speakers to watch him enter. His inner-circle trailed after like a protective shadow (Save for Naruto, who walked on his right side).

The group consisted of :

Uzumaki Naruto, Sasuke's right hand man and self-proclaimed best friend (Though Sasuke never denied it himself). Naruto was adopted by the Uchiha's when he was 12, after the death of his parents. The Uzumaki's were long-time family friends, so it seemed only fitting for them to take him in. He's a loud, kind-hearted person, though he can be extremely ruthless when the situation calls for it. He's extremely loud, and a bit of a dunderhead, but everyone who meets him can't help but like him, even if it's just a little.

Huyga Neji, a long-haired man who was a branch member of the esteemed Huyga clan. He got mixed up in street business after the death of his father, when he was forced to move in with his uncle and younger cousins. He's extremely smart, so Sasuke often looks to him for advice. He's part of the reason the young Uchiha's business has become so successful.

Tenten, one of only two girls, grew up homeless. She had no family to speak of, joining Sasuke's gang in her search for one. She's a master at every weapon known to man. She walked with a gun shoved boldly into the side of her skinny-jeans.

The next girl was Yamanaka Ino, Sakura's best friend. She was the preppy, cheerleader type that hated getting dirty, but she could get information out of anyone. She always seemed to be able to guess what others were thinking. She often uses her "dumb blond" appearance to her advantage. She comes from a family of traveling gypsies. When they moved on to the next town, she didn't.

Aburame Shino was a rather strange, intimidating fellow. He always wore round, Ozzy Osbourne-styled shades, and a heavy jacket with a high collar. He didn't speak much, but he's fiercely loyal. He also has a somewhat creepy obsession with bugs that steamed from his childhood. He's part of a famous crime family.

Last but not least was Inuzuka Kiba. The loud, obnoxious brunette was so much like Naruto that the two often locked horns. His dog Akamaru was about the size of a miniature horse, and followed him everywhere. In fact, he was trailing alongside his owner at that very moment, which is probably why the crowd gave them such a wide berth. He'd lived with his sister in a small apartment over her vet shop until one day while he was at school, a street gang broke into it. They burned it to the ground and murdered his sister. He joined Sasuke in his quest for revenge.

They all met for the first time a Kohona High.

The group made their way to the VIP area. A man with shoulder-length hair that was so light blue it looked almost white sat with his back to them. A scantly dressed red-head was perched beside him on the arm of the couch, searching the club, most likely for them. The client had men of his own lined up, ready to jump to their master's aid.

"_Suigetsu." Sasuke acknowledge once they were close enough. His low voice somehow managed to carry over the loud music. By now, the crowd had once again began their game of grinding on random strangers._

The man grinned as he and Sakura sat down on the opposite couch, showing off his pearly-white teeth that he'd filed to points. "It's about time you got your sorry ass here Uchiha!" Sasuke gave him a blank stare.

"_Eh, still all work and no play I see? Though it seems you haven't quite given up pleasure." he allowed his violet eyes to roam Sakura's form appreciatively. Before Sasuke could fix him with his infamous death-glare, the red-head smacked Suigetsu over the head. "Ow, dammit Karin, WHAT THE HELL!" _

"_Your_ girl is over here, bastard." she huffed, angrily adjusting her thin glasses. Suigetsu rolled his eyes and pulled her down into his lap. She still refused to look at him.

"_Since someone _is getting a little cranky, how about we get down to business?" taking Sasuke's silence as a sign to continue, he did just that. "I may have..._upset_ another powerful crime-lord, so I'm looking for a little extra fire-power to make me and my boys feel a little safer-"

"_I sell drugs, not weapons." Sasuke cut in bluntly. Neither of them were too worried about being discreet. No cop was getting anywhere near this place, though many have tried. It was like the Holy Grail to them. Anyone able to infiltrate Valley of the End_ would surely go down in law enforcement history.

"_Yeah, but you could if you wanted," Suigetsu leaned forward, eyes shinning, "you've got connections man, like I've never seen! I'll be sure to make it worth you while, and what harm could expanding your business do, hmm?" Sakura nearly snorted at this. It could actually do a lot_ of harm, especially if the authorities were already riding your hide. That's how most in this business meet their end; they get greedy. Sasuke already knew all this, but no doubt wanted to know if Suigetsu could really compensate him well enough to actually make sticking his neck even _farther_ out reasonable.

_'He looks like he has money,' _Sakura though_, 'but not _that_ much.' _Could he possibly have something else he could offer that would be just was good? Sasuke reached into his pocket and handed her his credit card, effectively snapping her from her musings.

"_Take everyone else to get drinks, on me." she nodded, and took the card. Only Naruto, Neji, and two of Suigetsu's guys were allowed to stay._

The poor bartender, a rather scrawny man with silver hair pulled back in a pony-tail and large, round glasses, looked nervous when he saw the large group approaching. Not that Sakura could blame him. The tension rising between Suigetsu's men and Sasuke's inner-circle was so thick it was almost suffocating They were all on edge, as if they expected a fight to break out at any second.

"_A shot of sake for everyone please," she leaned forward to read his name tag, "Kabuto." Kabuto stuttered a quick "Hai" and set about preparing the drinks. By the 5_th round, everyone was too drunk to be suspicious anymore.

"_Ne Sakura-chan, you know what?" Karin slurred as she slung an arm around the pinkette's shoulders. "I think you might be my beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeest friend." Sakura giggled, flattered by the red-head's proclamation, but a very irate (And intoxicated) Ino appeared before she could reply. "Oh HELL no," she swayed dangerously back and forth, "Forehead is MY best friend so you betta back off skank!" Karin's eyes narrowed dangerously behind her glasses. "What...did you just call me?"_

"_You heard me," the blonde taunted, "skankskankskankskankSKANK!"_

...And that's how the two of them ended up wrestling on the floor, surrounded by a crowd of chanting guys throwing ones. All the ruckus attracted the attention of the Suigetsu and Sasuke, who had luckily just finished up closing their deal. "Mother fucker." Suigetsu murmured, smacking his forehead. Sasuke just massaged is temples irritably. _'It's always a fucking scene with them.' _...He really needed a new inner-circle.

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_**So what do you think? R&R and tell me! :DD**_


	2. Sasuke's Interlude: If It Isn't Broken

_**First of all, I think I might be going crazy because I'm starting to hear like, voices and stuff. O_o**_

_**At first it just sounded like someone calling my name, and since I was usually around other people when it happened, I assumed I'd just misheard someone. Last night though (Or well, early this morning) I was in the shower and I heard someone's voice outside the bathroom door. It sounded angry, but I couldn't hear what they were saying since it was muffled by the door, they just kept shouting. Then I heard the sound of a car turning so I looked outside and didn't see anything. It all got quiet after that.**_

_**Maybe it has something to do with my insomnia? I mean, staying up for days on end with little to no sleep is bound to mess with your brain righ? (...Go ahead and say it, I know you want to, "If you stay up so late, why does it take you forever to update?" xDD) But whatever, nothing has happened since I got an hour or two of sleep so it probably **_was_** just my sleep deprived brain. xDD**_

_**Anyways, someone asked to see how Sakura and Sasuke fell in love, and that birthed an amazing idea! Every other chapter or so, I'll be doing an interlude explaining a bit about a character's background. The character is likely to be anyone, so you may find yourself surprised. ;DD**_

_**The interludes are going to be a bit shorter than regular chapters though, unless I get really into it.**_

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**0o..T H E W I L D C A R D..o0**

_Detective Hatake Kakashi has been trying put the notorious drug-lord Uchiha Sasuke behind bars for ten years now, and he's finally found Sasuke's weakness, his lover Haruno Sakura. But when she turns out to be a harder shell to crack than he first anticipated, can Kakashi really use this unpredictable wild card to win the game, or will she put an even further gap between him and his prize?_

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_It all starts one summer, when the Uchiha's move into the house next to the Haruno's._

They were both twelve, and he hadn't liked her very much at all. She was stubborn, violent, and ridiculously loud. She also had the annoying habit of being annoyingly annoying too, in the always-sticking-her-nose-up-in-his-business kind of way.

_He tries ignoring her. _

That didn't work out too well since they were neighbors and his mother seemed to think that the pink-haired nuisance was the greatest thing since spray-able cheese. Then there was his older brother Itachi, a senior attending Konoha High at the time, who'd go out of his way to invite her over just so he could watch his miserable Otouto_-chan_ ponder thoughts of suicide as she babbled on obliviously (his mother thought Itachi was a saint too; obviously she was a HORRIBLE judge in character). The Dobe, for some unearthly reason that Sasuke simply could not understand, actually _enjoyed_ her company, so he would (literally) shove her into Naruto's eager arms and come up with some half-assed excuse as he fled upstairs to his room like the manly man he was.

_He tries to avoid her at school._

The principal of Konoha Junior High was a kind, rickety old man that Sasuke was pretty sure had some form of Alzheimer's. Yeah, he could remember _easy_ stuff...like the names of each student and faculty member in the entire school, but he completely forgot the trivial things...like the fact that alphabetical order is always done by LAST name, not FIRST; it's the LAW. Seriously, what kind of weirdo does that? Laws are obviously put in place for a reason. For example, it's _illegal_ to go around shooting people's kneecaps out because then everyone (or at least the really bitchy people that nobody actually likes) would be hopping around on short little nubs and then who would get stuff off the top shelf for the short guys? No one, because everybody else would be short too! That's why he believed, by her sitting right there in front of him in _every single last one_ of his classes when she _should _be all the way across the room, she was knowingly partaking in criminal activities. Sasuke didn't associate with _felons_, he was a good boy.

_He tries hanging out with the "in" crowd._

He didn't take into account when he allied himself with, from what he gathered, were her former tormenters, that she had changed a great deal since elementary days. Despite her wide mint eyes, cotton-candy pink hair, and soft smile, the girl was a raging beast when provoked. The only thing he accomplished at first was having his self-proclaimed number one fan Ami beat into the dirt on multiple occasions; courtesy of the pinkette (which wasn't _so _bad since Ami found it difficult to hang all over him while clutching a broken nose and/or busted lip). After a month of two of pretending however, he actually began to think of the shallow bunch as his friends. He looked forward to their pointless group outings to the mall or the movies, outings that _she _never attended. She couldn't very well just pop up all uninvited like now could she?

_He tries to convince himself that he doesn't care._

More months went by and things changed. She still came over almost every day, but it was always for Naruto. She didn't chirp "Sasuke-kun!" as she entered anymore, or even offer him a cheerful "How was soccer practice today?" She would simply flash him a fleeting smile before heading to the kitchen where The Dobe was always waiting, stuffing his mouth with ramen. This made Sasuke very angry. It wasn't because he was _jealous_; why would he be when he didn't even like her? No no, jealousy had absolutely _nothing_ to do with it. He was upset because the only thing more annoying than being around her while she was talking to him, was being around her when she was speaking to someone else. She was always laughing, which made him want to know what could possibly be so damn funny that she had to giggle _every five seconds_. He also found the disturbing urge to watch her, to see what could be better than paying attention to him.

_He tries to convince _her_ that he doesn't care._

There were only five days left in school, a Friday, when tragedy struck. His older brother Itachi had been acting oddly for a while. His gentle smiles and relentless teasing were slowly replaced by blank stares and contemplative silence. Naruto tried his hardest to prod his adoptive-sibling into normal behavior, but the best response he'd get was a sharp poke on the forehead. Eventually, even his mother stopped fretting, writing it off as mere teen angst, but it was much more than that. Somehow Itachi had gotten mixed up into _Akatsuki, _a dangerous gang where the members were required to slaughter their own families to gain membership. Perhaps if they'd simply paid more attention, Naruto and Sasuke wouldn't have come home to a bloody massacre after the meeting for next year's soccer players was over.

She hadn't been in school that day because she was leaving to spend the weekend with her grandmother in Sunagakure, but word spread fast. She was exiting the bus station as he was coming in, immediately dropping her things at the sight of him and running up with her arms wide. He knew she intended to embrace him, to tell him that she was there if he needed her like he'd already heard a thousand times from his friends over the phone (after a while, he stopped picking up).

He stepped to the side and she stumbled past confusedly. "Don't touch me." he brushed by her, his knuckles white from the tight grip he had on his luggage. He could feel her injured stare on his back but he tried his best to ignore it. "Sasuke-kun, wait." something inside of him snapped as her soft fingers brushed his elbow. He turned stiffly and fixed her with the coldest glare he could muster.

"How hard is it for you to understand that I want you to _leave me alone_? I've never liked you. In fact, I've _hated_ you since the day we meet. Just go home before you make an even bigger fool out of yourself."

He stared straight into her eyes, even though the tears in them sent a slight pang through his heart. She opened her mouth the speak, but shut it once more and went back for her luggage. Bystanders were giving him nasty looks for making her cry, like they actually had the right, like he'd said those things on _purpose_ when he _hadn't_. She hurried past him without so much as a look in his direction. He watched her go, the slight pain turning into a full blown ache. He quietly boarded the bus to Otogakure with his belongings, where he would be staying with his next of kin; his uncle Orochimaru.

"...Thank you, Sakura."

_He stops trying and lets it be. _

From the utter nonsense the blonde had sputtered over their many phone conversations, coupled with the fact that he'd scooped Sasuke up into the _gayest_ hug _ever _right there in the middle of the bus station, the dark-haired boy concluded that staying in Konoha with their 7th grade teacher Iruka hadn't helped his mental development at all. He was still an idiot.

"Ne Sasuke-teme, I knew you couldn't stand three whole years away from me!" yeah, it's official, everyone in the near vicinity thought they were lovers now for sure. Sasuke shoved the blonde away and calmly gathered his things (which he had dropped when The Dobe viciously attacked him with..._love_).

He wasn't going to tell his adoptive brother the real reason he was back, not yet. There was no doubt that the blonde would help. He knew Naruto loved Mikoto and Fugaku Uchiha almost as much as he did. Revenge would be an enticing treat, especially if Sasuke dangled it _just_ right. He smirked. Like he always used to do with ramen to get his way when they were younger.

His uncle Orochimaru was a twisted man that gained the power he craved through the streets. He brainwashed the weak with promises of wonderful things, and killed anyone smart enough to see through his ploy. Of course, he recruited Sasuke to do his dirty work as well. "Sasuke-kun needs to earn his keep" he said. It wasn't until Sasuke made his first kill that he realized what he had to do. He stared down into the lifeless eyes of his victim, the lifeless eyes of _Itachi, _and he _knew_ he couldn't stop destroying until he got what he wanted. No, he shook his head, what he needed. He'd start an army, gently nursing it until it was strong enough, and then he'd demolish _Akatsuki_, even if he had to do it one member at a time.

Things were different when he went back to school. They had a new principal, a busty blonde woman with an apparent drinking problem. He smirked when Naruto told him Sarutobi had to retire because he 'd developed Alzheimer's.

Had he called it or what?

The other students gave him a wide berth as he glided through the hallway. They whispered rumors they'd heard about his stay in Otogakure to each other, and sent him fearful glances; one girl even screamed when he stopped at his locker, which happened to be right next to hers. His so called friends wanted nothing to do with him, not that he could really blame them. He was a completely different person than the Sasuke they knew.

He sat in homeroom after being sorted in alphabetical order, staring at the back of Uchida Mayuri's head and wondering why her brown tresses didn't seem right.

Sasuke got a pleasant surprise half-way through the day. He'd spent the last three and a half hours alone since Naruto's schedule didn't agree with his, and lunch wasn't _supposed_ to be any different. He randomly claimed a table, simply staring blankly at the clique that usually sat there until they reluctantly slunk away to find another place to sit. He buried his face in his arms with the intention of catching a few Z's, when a light tap on the shoulder made him look up. The only warning he got was a familiar smile before her fist connected with his face.

"That's for saying that stuff to me when you left, bastard."she plopped down next to him and began babbling aimlessly about everything he'd missed, just like she would before life got all screwed up. This time, he silenced her with a kiss.

_Have you ever stopped to think that maybe if you must try so hard to fix things, nothing was ever wrong in the first place?_

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_**Sorry for any mistakes, and happy almosy birthday MiscellanousAnime! :DD**_


	3. Mondays

**_Firstly, I would like to say that the fact that I got 10 less reviews than last time kind of hurt my feelings -teartear-, but the ones who DID review again were so wonderful that I updated on time anyway. (A day early actually :DD)_**

**_I answered a few of your questions at the bottom so check it out if there was something you wanted to know. If I didn't answer your question and you think it's a pressing matter, ask again in your next review. :DD_**

**_(Also, I'm writing a novel in present tense so I'm used to using it instead of past. Please forgive me if I accidentally switch. I try to go back and check but you know how proof-reading your own stuff can be. XDD)_**

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**0o..T H E W I L D C A R D..o0**

_Detective Hatake Kakashi has been trying put the notorious drug-lord Uchiha Sasuke behind bars for ten years now, and he's finally found Sasuke's weakness, his lover Haruno Sakura. But when she turns out to be a harder shell to crack than he first anticipated, can Kakashi really use this unpredictable wild card to win the game, or will she put an even further gap between him and his prize?_

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It's common knowledge that when Uchiha Sasuke is having a bad day, then so is everybody else.

This is why no one at _Taka's _home base, a series of abandoned warehouses cluttered together in a small community and leased as private property under some random stranger's name (who was likely going in debt from paying so many "out of the blue" taxes), uttered a word of complaint as their leader stomped around like an angry child, barking out orders seemingly just for the heck of it. Of course, they would never actually _say_ he was behaving like a five year-old...to his _face_ at least. Standing around the proverbial water-cooler is a completely different story, however.

"Oi, be careful with that. It says handle with care for a fucking reason." the grunts assigned to load everything onto the truck sent each other exasperated looks as their master strode away, wondering what was eating him this time. In his defense, Sasuke didn't intend to go trolling around and bitching over every thing when he was in a bad mood. It wasn't _his_ fault that he didn't handle anger well, or that the universe seemed to enjoy pissing him off.

That damned detective Hatake hadn't stopped tailing his girl since the fruitless interrogation a couple of days ago, and Naruto wouldn't stop yapping in his ear about his stupid car because Kankuro, the go to guy for expensive, black-market vehicles, was laying low for a while due to a heads up from his cop brother Gaara. Not to mention the fact that he'd managed to get himself tangled up in this mess with Orochimaru. His uncle already wasn't too pleased that he'd up and left without warning. Sasuke ran a hand through his raven locks and stalked towards his _Jeep Hurricane_. As he drew closer to the front gates, the sounds of arguing voices teased his ears.

He squinted, rubbing his failing eyes. He could just barely make out the forms of Kiba, two of his random minions whose names escaped him, and a man he didn't recognize at all who stood on the other side of the gate. He was old but not ancient, with rather plain features that Sasuke would most likely forget as soon as he was gone. The man wore a cook's clothing, complete with grease stains and all.

"I'm sorry sir," Kiba tried to placate him, "but I cannot allow you onto the premises without the prior consent of my boss-"

"So you mean to tell me I've been paying for this place for _years_ and I can't even go in," well crap, guess they finally know who the elusive " Random Stranger" is, "I demand to speak with this boss of yours right now!"

Damn Mondays, damn 'em straight to Hell.

"Is there a problem." he says blankly, strolling past his jeep and up to them at a leisurely pace that suited him. His Aviators glinted in the noon sun. _Taka's_ base was nestled deep in the woods on the outskirts of Konoha. You couldn't possibly find it unless you knew exactly where to look, and he had scouts constantly patrolling the surrounding area for danger. (Who were so getting an ass beating come shift changing time for letting someone slip passed them.) He was free to do as much business in the middle of the day as he pleased. Unless of course, annoying hindrances like the man before him decide to pop up and cause problems.

He faltered slightly at the sight of Sasuke's intimidating form before bristling up again, determined to remain firm.

"My daughter handles all the bills for our restaurant and we've run into a tight spot lately. When she suggested we get rid of some of our storage warehouses to cut back, _I_ had no idea what she was talking about because _I've _never bought any!" it was perfectly acceptable for him to be upset, but Sasuke still didn't appreciate his snippy tone.

"I think we can come to a compromise Mr..."

"Teuchi."

"...Teuchi-san. You keep the property in your name, and I'll make sure your restaurant gets plenty of business."

"Absolutely not," Teuchi answered, barely waiting for Sasuke to finish his sentence, "whatever you young men are doing here obviously isn't legal! Why, I have half the mind to call the police!" see, _that _is why Sasuke hated old people (especially when they're ignorant to what goes on after dark, and therefore are not afraid of him or any other person they rightfully should be). They thought they could just run around screaming at people with no repercussions because they'd _earned_ the right or some other nonesense like that. He narrowed his eyes at the old man.

"So you would rather my second offer then." he motioned for Random Minion #1 to open the gates. Teuchi stepped through with a triumphant smile, only to be met by the cold barrel of Sasuke's silver _Beretta 92FS_; _right_ between the eyes.

"I shoot you where you stand and take control of your funds myself."

"M-my daughter," Teuchi shouted nervously, "s-she knows w-where I went, she'll come looking for me!" Sasuke cocked an eyebrow.

"That's good to hear Teuchi-san, then I won't have to go through the trouble of hunting her down myself." he applied light pressure to the trigger. It wasn't enough to actually make the gun go off, but it sent Teuchi into another sputtering fit.

"P-please don't kill us," he begged, "I'll take the first offer!"

"What makes you think it still stands," Sasuke replied coldly, "I'm having a _very_ bad day and you just hurt my feelings." he watched Teuchi fall to his knees, his gun following him all the way down, and beg for his life. It wasn't until the man began kissing Sasuke's _Salvatore Ferragamo _Leather Loafers, did the young mob-boss decide enough was enough.

...He didn't want old people slobber all over his $520 shoes.

"You keep the property under your name, I'll send you more business, and I get 30 percent of your monthly profits."

"B-but we barely have enough as it is!"

"...40." Teuchi quickly shut his mouth and nodded.

Sasuke tucked his weapon into his jeans, smoothing out the wrinkles in his black button-up shirt that had to first few buttons undone. He jerked his head to Kiba, who followed him as he turned on his heel and started back for his jeep.

"Make sure he doesn't forget." he called over his shoulder. The nameless underlings descended upon Teuchi.

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Meanwhile, Sakura was having her own fun playing mind games with one detective Hatake Kakashi.

He'd been on her tail the minute she stepped out of the panic apartment Sasuke had gotten her specifically for a situation where she couldn't go home. She told Naruto, who was waiting outside in a "Totally jank rental that was nowhere near as awesome as his beloved Mayumi, Dattebayo!" to go ahead and spend another day with Hinata, since he would probably just ruin all of her merriment if he stayed. Once he was gone, she began her trek to the cafe on the corner with a happy pep in her step.

Kakashi watched from across the street in his patrol car, a frown crinkling his surgical mask. The orange-haired intern sat in the passenger's seat, yawning and rubbing his puffy eyes. Asuma's wife had gone into labor earlier that morning, so Kakashi was stuck with the office-drone for the time being. He felt kind of bad for forcing the younger man, who wasn't even properly trained, to sit here with him after he'd spent the entire night filing papers, but the police chief Tsunade made it clear that he couldn't go alone.

"You can take a nap if you want, it doesn't look like anything too exciting will be happening anytime soon." the intern waved him off.

"It's okay," he replied in a quiet voice that didn't really seem to fit him, "how many times is a paper pusher like me going to go on an actual police investigation?"

The door chimed as Sakura stepped back outside, a tray holding three drinks in her hands. She looked to the left and right, causing Kakashi to unconsciously do so as well, before starting across the street; directly towards them. At first he simply stared at her when she knocked politely on the driver's-side window. Then, slowly, he rolled it all the way down.

"I figured you guys might need a little pick me up," her eyes drifted to the intern, flashing briefly in surprise, "it's pretty early." she balanced one hand on the window as she leaned across Kakashi to give the orange-haired man one of the foam cups. She brushed Kakashi's arm when she pulled back, smiling widely when he stiffened in response. She turned back to the other male in the car. "I wasn't expecting you to be detective Hatake-san's partner today, sorry if you don't like your coffee."

"Coffee is coffee." he replied, inhaling the steam appreciatively.

"_This_ one is for _you_ detective Hatake-san." she handed him his drink, caressing his fingers briefly before pulling away, and this time Kakashi is positive she did it on purpose.

"How very kind of you Sakura-san," his lone eye crinkled in a smile and he scratched the back of his neck, "we are pretty tired." then he stared at her, and she stared back.

"Well aren't you going to try it," she asked, "I come to this place all the time and I'd love to hear your opinion. You seem like a man of refined taste."

Kakashi was immediately suspicious. He _could_ just flat out refuse, but that would ruin his standings in the game. Sakura probably already knew that he didn't quite trust her; she didn't trust him either. Actually _acting_ on this distrust was a whole different situation, however. It might cause her to change things up, and Kakashi just could not afford for that to happen yet. Still...what if it was poisoned?

He shook his head, realizing how unlikely that was. Sakura was all about being sneaky and discreet. Poisoning his coffee would be much too obvious. She was after something else, but what? With a polite raise of his cup, he took a sip, expecting the liquid to taste bitter in his mouth. Instead...

"How did you know I like green tea?" something he couldn't quite place flashed across her eyes.

"Oh...lucky guess I suppose. You don't seem like much of a coffee person."

She strutted away, back towards to cozy cafe, before he could reply. She paused to dump the now empty drink tray, as her own coffee was clutched in her hand, in the trashcan by the door and stepped inside. She sat at a table by the front window, taking sips from her cup calmly. She looked across the room and locked eyes with someone Kakashi couldn't see. He didn't have to wonder about the person's identity long. A red-haired woman with thin, rectangular glasses suddenly appeared next to Sakura's table. They did that hugging and squealing thing women do when they haven't seen a good friend in a while and sat down, chattering animatedly.

"Quick," Kakashi muttered to the intern, "set up _Dumbo_ so we can see what those two are talking about."

The orange-haired man pulled the listening device dubbed _Dumbo_ by the detectives of Konoha's police force from the duffel bag in the back seat and fumbled nervously with its nobs and switches. He then handed one set of ear phones to Kakashi, sliding the other over his own ears. The women's voices were barely murmurs. Kakashi leaned forward as if it would somehow make the them sound louder.

"Turn it up."

Suddenly, it sounded as if they were screaming at the top of their lungs right next to his hears. He hissed and snatched off the earphones, scowling when the intern mumbled a weak apology. When he put them back on, he could hear clearly, save for a little static.

_"-cutest shoes I've EVER seen," the red-head exclaimed, "they would look PERFECT on you!"_

_"Oh I don't know, I'm sure they'd look __much ___better on you Karin-chan." __Kakashi wrote her name on a napkin he found shoved in his armrest and tuned back in. The women blabbered on about...well...women things for the next half-hour before things finally got interesting.

_"_It's been nice chatting with you Sakura-chan, but I guess we have to get down to business now yes?" the pink-haired woman sighed and placed her now empty foam cup down.__

_"_Yes Karin-chan, I suppose so."__ Kakashi sat up straighter. Beside him, the intern who'd been dozing off, was now wide awake.

"_Sasuke-kun is going to be transporting a few...samples soon. In fact, he's probably prepping them for delivery as we speak."_

"_Ah, and if Suigetsu likes what he sees-"_

"_I'm sure he will."_

"_-Then the drop spot will be the same?" Sakura nodded, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear._

"_Tonight at midnight; the west peer." Karin hummed and finished off her own drink. _

"_I'm sure we'll see you there then. Uchiha Sasuke isn't one to disappoint now is he?" _

"_No he isn't."_

Kakashi didn't bother with listening as they said their goodbyes and made plans toget together later. He was finally going to catch the young Uchiha with his dirty little hands in the cookie jar.

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_"I wish I could be there;___ I know how much this bust means to you." __Kakashi shook his head, shifting his cellphone to his other shoulder so he could finish strapping on his bullet proof vest.

"All you need to worry about is your wife and daughter, Asuma. If she turns out to be anything like Kurenai, you're going to have your hands full for the next 18 years." Asuma's raspy, smoker's laugh echoed through the receiver.

_"_You're right on that one Kakashi." __Kakashi found himself smiling.

"Well I'm off to make history without you, don't be too jealous of my raise when you get back."

_"_Like you aren't going to blow it all on porn anyways."__ the silver-haired detective actually chuckled that time.

"I have no idea what you could possibly be referring to Asuma."

_"_Yeah yeah, I bet you don't."__

He rechecked all his gear after hanging up with his absent partner, making sure his weapons were ready for instant use and his bullet-proof vest was secure. He would've preferred it if Asuma were there, not only to watch his back, but as moral support. Over the years, the two men had developed a brotherly relationship. Kakashi didn't have any blood-relatives living, and he didn't meet many people outside of the police department because of his busy schedule. The other detective was all he had.

Well, him and Uchiha Sasuke.

Part of Kakashi was sad that tonight, possibly everything would be ending. He'd spent 10 years tracking Sasuke down, since the man came on the street scene 15 years old. In some twisted way, Kakashi had gotten attached. It was almost like he was the "uncool" father and Sasuke was his rebellious son who thought the older man was "cramping his style." It was a strange sentiment to have indeed, but what was one to expect from a lonely man that dreamed of a family, with nothing but his job? He glanced at the clock hanging over the crappy television in the breakroom, where he was getting ready.

_11:45_

There were no signs of life when Kakashi arrived at Konoha's west dock exactly five minutes after midnight. In fact, the only thing there besides empty loading crates was a foam cup sitting in the middle of the damp concrete. He got out of his car and walked forward confusedly. The patrol officers he'd brought along as back-up immediately opened their doors as well, readying their weapons to cover Kakashi's back in case things got messy.

As he drew closer, he realized it looked just like the one Sakura had gotten him from that cafe earlier. He picked it up, not needing to take a sip to know that green tea was inside. There was a piece of paper with his name neatly printed on the front laying underneath it, glowing stark white in its dark surroundings. Curiously, he unfolded it.

__Listening to someone else's private conversation isn't a very nice thing to do detective Hatake-san.__

__-Much love, Sakura__

He balled up the note and threw it angrily into the harbor.

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**I always read through you guys' reviews to see if there are any questions I didn't **_intend _**to create. I'm going to answer the ones I think pertain to everyone. I'm a subtle writer. I like easing things in and making microscopic connections. You're going to have to think with this story, and really pay attention to details. :DD**

**Q: What part does Sakura play in the gang?**

**A: She's the ambassador. Sasuke sends her off to make nice with the client/business partner's crew during meetings. Sakura also hosts parties and dinners for the people Sasuke works with to help build better relationships. You'll see one of these in the up coming chapters. She kind of has the responsibility of keeping the cops from finding out too much now as well.**

**Q: In the first chapter, Kakashi implies that Sasuke has been with many women, but the interlude indicates differently. Why is that?**

**A: I was implying that Kakashi didn't know as much about Sasuke's personality as he thought he did. He simply assumed that Sasuke would sleep around because of his life style when he has, in fact, been with Sakura since the beginning. The interlude was **_supposed_** to help you guys come to that understanding...major fail on my part I guess. xDD**

**Q: Why hasn't Kakashi paid Sakura any attention before now?**

**A: I took an element from the actually series for this. Remember how, in the beginning, Kakashi paid Sakura little to no attention at all? He spent all of his time training Naruto and Sasuke. That's what he did here. He was so focused on those two, he didn't even notice Sakura was still hanging around, or that she was actually important to the gang.**

**Q: When are you going to return to the storyline?**

**A: This seems to be more of a mass hysteria question. One person asked and everyone else assumed that I was going to be posting a crapload of interludes back to back. It also means that no one really paid much attention to my author's note, though I can't blame you because is was super long. xDD The interludes will come every two or three chapters, depending on whether or not I end with a cliffie. -insert evil laughter here-**

**Also, I would like to make it known that Sasuke only uses his Jeep to get to and from the base, since it isn't exactly an easy travel.**


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